To Harm A Mockingbird
by bookwormgirlLH
Summary: What would happen to Maycomb is Atticus was badly hurt in an attack by his own personal enemy - Bob Ewell? Sorry for the rubbish title! Please R&R - I would really appreciate it!
1. Chapter 1: Attack

Atticus Finch strolled out of Maycomb's only courthouse, swinging his briefcase in his right hand even though it was aching from constant writing, relishing the gust of cool night air as it cooled his flushed cheeks. He still couldn't understand why it was so hot in the courthouse, it wasn't as if it had a heating system - it was too old for that.

Walking down the steps, Atticus stared around, looking around the deserted square, most of it hidden by shadows. It wasn't suprising that the town was empty at eleven o'clock at night, but he couldn't help feeling as if something wasn't quite right. He shook his head to rid himself of his paranoid thoughts, and tried to reassure himself - _Bob Ewell isn't going to attack me now, he went home hours ago, and, anyway, he would have to be pretty stupid, because everyone would know it was him, _he thought.

Atticus walked over to where he always parked he car, and sighed as he remembered that the car had broken down, and that he was going to have to walk home. He chuckled slightly as he thought about how Calpurnia was going to moan at him - "You told me you were working late and would be back at eleven. It's now half eleven Mr Finch - do you have any idea how much you've worried me, especially after Bob Ewell threatened you." She'd say.

So Atticus spun on his heels and began the reasonably long walk back home, where Calpurnia, who had agreed to the arrangement reluctantly, was staying late to look after Scout and Jem in exchange for some time off the next day. It wouldn't take him too long to get back, and, despite his original paranoid thoughts, he quite enjoyed walking in the dark. It was always dark at night in Maycomb, for there were only lampposts on street corners, but that didn't bother the residents - it just meant that they all had very good night vision.

Atticus suddenly jumped as he heard heavy footsteps coming up behind him, but told himself it was just someone out for an evening stroll, and calmed down again. By now, he had left the town centre and was heading into the residential part of town, where he lived. As Atticus walked past another lamppost, the light slowly dimmed as he got further and further away from it, and soon found himself in pitch darkness, with only a few stars to light the way. But he had lived in Maycomb for most of his adult life, and could easily walk the streets blindfolded, so he wasn't phased by this.

The sound of footsteps returned, sounding closer this time, but he had no idea which direction they were coming from. Atticus quickened his step, his paranoia returning, the sudden rush of adrenaline making his heat rate rapidly increase.

"Whose there?" He called, trying to keep his voice calm.

There was no response, but something whizzed past his hear, only just missing the side of his head, and crashed into the pavement in front of him. The object shattered, telling Atticus it was made of glass.

He began to run, desperate to avoid the assailant, who was clearly trying to seriously hurt him. He could see the lamppost outside the late Mrs Dubose's house, and, knowing how close he was to his home and safety, he ran as fast as he could, so was soon desperately out of breath.

He thought he was safe, and that he had easily outran the attacker, but another object flew through the darkness and caught him hard on the back of the head. Atticus crashed to the pavement, landing heavily and awkwardly on his left arm, the wound on the back of his head throbbing unbearably. He felt so drowsy, but forced himself to try to stand up, and somehow managed to run back to his house.

Staggering up the steps, clutching his arm, Atticus stumbled through the doorway and into the kitchen.

Cal, who was sat, reading, at the table, looked up to see Mr Finch in the doorway, his left arm contorted out of shape, his chin split open rom the fall, and his white collar soaked with blood.

"Mr Finch!" She screamed, rushing towards him, he voice so loud that she woke up Scout and Jem, who came running.

"Atticus!" They cried in unison, and from behind, they both could see the massive gash in his scalp, which was pouring blood.

Cal took his arm, leading him towards a seat, but, suddenly, his legs gave way and he fell to the floor, unconscious...

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 2 should be up soon. And I know that by the trial in the book, Aunt Alexandra is staying with them - but she isn't in my version! Please R&R to tell me what you think - praise or criticism, I don't mind, but please don't be cruel.**


	2. Chapter 2: Healing

Calpurnia didn't even pause to scream; she just ran straight into the hall and picked up the phone.

"Can I speak to Dr Reynolds, please?" She began, voice wavering.

Scout and Jem were left alone in the kitchen, staring in horror at their father's unconscious body, and knelt down either side of him. Scout took Atticus's hand, interlocking her fingers with his, blood smearing all over her hand. She bowed her head, her body trembling with shock, "Atticus?" She whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek.

She looked up at Jem, "Is he dead, Jem?" She asked, sobbing louder.

"Of course not, Scout! Don't you dare say things like that!" Jem snapped, but he, too looked terrified. To reassure Scout as well as himself, Jem bent forwards, his ear against his father's chest, listing for his heartbeat. "He's defiantly alive, Scout, I can feel him breathing and hear his pulse - and he's not gonna die either, Dr Reynolds is the best doctor in the whole'a Maycomb County." He spoke firmly, but was trying so hard to not cry that his voice cracked. He sat back up, looking his sobbing sister in the eye. His eyes widened as something came to him, "It was Bob Ewell who hurt him, wasn't it?!" He yelled, suddenly furiously angry.

Scout reached out, resting her hand on his shoulder, "I bet it was him too, Jem, but at the moment - all I care about is Atticus."

"I know, Scout, I just wish that," He paused, looking around for Cal, but she was still on the phone, "bastard would leave him alone - he don't ever do anything wrong, so why would anyone harm Atticus?" Jem cried, his own tears spilling over.

"Jem?" Scout asked, "Is it sorta like harming a mockingbird?"

Jem sat in silence , stunned by what his sister had just asked him. He was about to reply when Calpurnia came back into the room.

"Dr Reynolds and Mr Tate are on their way." She told the children, who were both crying. She crouched down next to them, and put her arms around them, "Your daddy's a fighter, he'll pull through - and I heard you swear, Jem." She tutted at him, pretending to be cross, and was pleased to see a small smile flicker of a smile appear on the boy's face.

They sat there for what felt like an eternity, but was in reality only about ten minutes, until there was a knock at the door. Cal answered it, and led Dr Reynolds into the kitchen, whose eyes widened at the sight of Atticus.

He opened his bag out onto the table, pulling out a stethoscope and listening for a heartbeat. He smiled slightly when he got one, but it vanished as he saw all of the blood leaking from the wound on the back of Atticus' head.

"Do you know what caused the wound?" He asked to the three of them, rather than just Calpurnia, as he gently rolled Atticus onto his right side. The others didn't know, but Dr Reynolds soon found out, "There are shards of glass in his scalp!"

"Did the attacker hit him with a glass bottle then?" Jem asked, horrified, and Scout whimpered.

Cal didn't like seeing the children so distressed, and didn't want them watching what was going to be something very gory, "Do you two want to wait in the living room?" She asked.

"No thanks, Cal." Scout said, even though the sight of all that blood was making her feel queasy.

"We'd like to stay here, please." Jem replied, not taking his eyes off of Atticus.

Cal didn't argue, but made the children sit at the table so they were out of th doctor's way.

Dr Reynolds pulled back the dark hairs on Atticus' head to get access to the gash, and began the painstaking process of tweezering thr shards of glass out of the cut. Scout winced, feeling the pain for Atticus as she was certain that he couldn't.

There was another knock of the door, making Dr Reynolds jump, but, luckily, he didn't stab his tweezers right into the wound. Cal went to get it, and returned a few seconds later with Heck Tate.

He looked at Atticus, who was laying unconscious on the floor, covered in blood. "I presume that Mr Finch was assaulted?"

"We don't really know what happened, Mr Tate, but he appeared in the doorway about twenty minutes ago, and them collapsed, so we haven't been able to find out what happened?" Cal replied.

"Well, from a medical perspective," added Dr Reynolds, looking up after having got the last piece of glass out of the gash, "Mr Finch has been hit in the head by a glass object and, as it would have killed him if someone hit him with glass at short range, it must have been thrown at him. His arm and chin are likely to be the result of the fall he would have had after being hit." He took a needle and thread out of his bag and began to stitch up the deep cut. Scout had been able to watch everything so far, but seeing this was too much for her, and she had to look away. Jem noticed, and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, doctor." Heck said, but he sighed, wanting to know less medical facts and more information about the attacker.

"I think it was Bob Ewell." Jem spoke up, staring at Heck. "It was obviously him - he threatened Atticus and hates him because he made a fool'a him today in court." He felt Scout stiffen at the sound of the all too familiar name, and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, lad, but I'm afraid that most people have to have evidence before they can accuse someone of a crime." Heck explained, a stiff tone in his voice telling everyone that he was talking about the Ewell's accusation of Tom Robinson.

After telling Cal that he'd be back soon, Heck left to try and find the place where Atticus was attacked, a torch in his hand.

By now, the doctor had banged up Atticus' head and was now cleaning and stitching his split chin. The children and Cal watched in silence, only responding with nods when Dr Reynolds explained to them exactly what he was doing to Atticus.

Even Jem had to turn away when the doctor gripped the broken arm at the wrist and pulled it sharply, the broken bones crunching, to straighten it, but they all watched as he put it into a sling. Dr Reynolds then stood up and washed his hands at the sink.

"I don't want to leave Mr Finch on the floor all night, he'll get a chill, but as his bedroom is too far away to carry him, should we put hm on the table?" He suggested, and soon, Atticus was lying on the large kitchen table. "I don't know when he's gonna wake up, so can I stay here tonight?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too demanding.

"Of course." Cal said, "You can have the spare bedroom." She beckoned him to follow her, but before she left the room she said, "Scout and Jem, can you get your father's blanket and put them on him and then go to bed?"

They both nodded, not wanting to go to bed but not feeling that they could put up much of a fight. Scout got the sheets from his bed and the pair of them layed the blanket over Atticus and tucked the pillow under his head, being ever so careful not to touch the bandages over the wound.

"Goodnight, Atticus." Jem whispered, and Scout gave him a kiss om his bruised forehead.

The pair of them headed off to bed, but as they reached Scout's doorway, she suddenly felt really nervous. "Can you sleep with me, Jem?" She asked.

He sighed, but got into bed beside her, neither of them bothering to change into their pyjamas.

After about five minutes, Cal came to say goodnight, and after she left, Scout, who Jem thought was sleeping, spoke, "Will Atticus get better, Jem?"

"Of course he will, Scout, of course he will..." Jem whispered soothingly, and, finally, the pair of them managed to fall asleep in each others arms. But they were pursued in their sleep by Bob Ewell, who told them that he was coming back to get Atticus again, and, this time, he wouldn't recover...


	3. Chapter 3: Recovery

Scout awoke to bright sunlight dappling her face through a chink in the curtains. She layed still for a moment she lay still, relaxed, but she soon tensed up as she remembered what had happened the night before. Glancing at the clock, Scout saw that it was half past six, and realised that she had barely had six hours sleep, which must have been why she felt so light-headed.

Easing herself out of the bed so as not to wake Jem, Scout tiptoed through the house to the kitchen, where she was surprised to see the doctor standing over Atticus. He was wearing just his creased shirt and trousers, and looked absolutely shattered as he once again listened for a heartbeat. He looked up to see Scout in the doorway.

"Good morning, Dr Reynolds." She said as cheerfully as she could, "How's Atticus?" Scout wandered over to where her injured father was laying, standing beside the doctor.

"He's much better, Scout." Dr Reynolds replied truthfully, "He has a much stronger heartbeat and, since I stitched him up, has stopped bleeding."

"When will he wake up?" Scout stared at Atticus' pale, still face, looking in horror at the bruises and stitches, still unable to believe that anyone could want to hurt him.

"It must have been a very hard blow to the head, so it may take a while." Dr Reynolds said, hating the way her face fell, but, as he spoke, the doctor saw Atticus' eyelids twitch.

Scout saw it too, and the pair of them silently watched as Atticus' eyelids flickered and slowly opened. He stared up at them, immediately clenching his jaw to try to cope with the searing pain pulsing through his arm and head. Dr Reynolds saw this, and, with permission, injected Atticus with morphine to ease his pain. Atticus' pupils dilated slightly and he relaxed, but he still looked, and felt, uncomfortable, a sign that the painkiller wasn't strong enough to make him feel completely better.

"Do you remember anything, Mr Finch?" Dr Reynolds asked, expecting Atticus to have amnesia after such a bad head injury.

"I was...walking home because... the car is at the garage, and..." Atticus, who was slightly slurring his words, paused for a few seconds, thinking hard, "...I was scared, someone was chasing me, and then something hit me in the back of the head and... I can't remember what happened next." Atticus said it in a rush, wanting to get his words out before he started crying, for he was feeling dangerously close to tears.

"You managed to get back here, but you fainted, so Cal called the doctor and Mr Tate." Scout informed him, taking his good hand, which Atticus squeezed tightly.

"It is remarkable that you didn't pass out until you got home, Mr Finch - that's quite a cut you've got." Dr Reynolds told him, smiling.

"What's the time?" Atticus asked, unable to see the clock from his position.

"Quarter to seven." Scout read.

"What? I need to be at the courthouse by half eight - I should be getting ready." Atticus tried to sit up, and managed to get off of the table before the doctor stopped him.

"Mr Finch, you are badly injured, please lay down." Dr Reynolds said desperately, trying to lead Atticus back to the table.

Atticus took a step forwards, feeling extremely dizzy, and suddenly stumbled sideways into the doctor, who managed to steady him, but made him sit down on a chair in case he fainted.

The doctor ran through what Atticus had just said, concerned that the head injury was worse than he had thought. "Mr Finch, Tom Robinson's trial was finished yesterday."

"I know," Atticus replied, "He was found guilty. But I do have another job today - it's just a case of theft."

The doctor looked relieved. "As you seem alright, I'll check up on you this evening, Mr Finch. But make sure to call me if you feel sick or get a really bad headache."

"I will." Atticus swore solemnly, "Thank you, Dr Reynolds, for everything."

"Its nothing. Goodbye Mr Finch, Goodbye Scout." He shook their hands in turn, making Scout giggle. Taking his bag, the doctor headed to his room to collect his other items of clothing, before letting himself out.

"How d'you feel, Atticus?" Scout asked softly.

Atticus chuckled weakly, "I've been better, Scout."

As Jem wandered into the kitchen, he smiled joyfully at the sight of Atticus awake, and hurtled towards him. "Atticus!" He cried, pulling his father into a carefull hug, and Scout joined in, so pleased that Atticus was awake again, and that he was going to get completely better.

* * *

When Calpurnia, who had slept in the living room, which she never normally did - as she didn't live with the Finches, went into the kitchen at half past seven, she was surprised to see Atticus sitting at the table, dressed for work, sipping from a cup of coffee that Jem and Scout had made for him.

She guessed his intentions at once, "Mr Finch, you are not going to work today, are you?" She asked in disbelief.

"I don't see why I shouldn't, Cal." He replied, putting down his cup."I'm physically able to and they need me today in court - I can't let Judge Taylor down."

Cal smiled in admiration - even when he had nearly died, Atticus still put others first. "Mr Finch, what am I going to do with you?" She sighed, shaking her head fondly. Cal heard the phone ringing in the hallway, and went to answer it.

Atticus took the last sip of his coffee, "I must say, that was a delicious coffee." He smiled as much as he could without pulling at the stitches in his chin.

Cal returned to the kitchen, "The garage rang and they're bringing the car back at eight, Mr Finch."

"That's great, Atticus, now you can drive to work instead - and that way, we'll know you're safe." Jem said.

"I forgot to tell you earlier," Calpurnia added, "But Mr Tate brought back your glasses and briefcase - they're in the hall."

"Thank's, Cal." Atticus grinned weakly at her.

"Are you sure you want to go to work today?" Cal tried one last time to encourage Atticus to stay home - because, in the back of her mind, she was scared that the same thing was going to happen to him again, but this time, he wouldn't be so lucky...


	4. Chapter 4: Revenge

Atticus sat in the car, fiddling with the controls, trying to figure out how to drive one-handed. He could do it, but was worried about crashing the car, especially as Scout and Jem were coming with him, despite all of his attempts to make them stay at home with Cal - "We want to make sure you're safe." Scout had told him, and Atticus had felt himself getting tearful, so he just gave in, and now they were in the car with him, Jem in the passenger seat and Scout in the back.

After a good fifteen minutes spent driving up and down the drive way, Atticus decided to set off, after one more attempt at making the children stay at home - "I'm sure you'll both find the trial boring." he warned them, but they still insisted they were coming. So Atticus drove off, and five minutes of jerky driving later, he pulled up in his usual space opposite the courthouse.

Atticus was surprised to find so many people out at eight fifteen in the morning, and as he got out of the car, he found himself the centre of their attention.

Jem and Scout stood patiently as their father answered seemingly endless questions about his appearance and what had happened,but Scout suddenly saw something that made her whole body tremble.

Bob Ewell was walking towards them, his body lurching drunkenly, a bottle in his hand, and a look of pure hatred on his contorted face, "You!" He yelled, making Atticus turn and see him too, "You're supposed to be dead!"

Everyone in the square was staring at him as he approached, but Atticus stood strong, not looking scared, pushing Jem and Scout behind his back. When Bob was no more than ten metres away, he suddenly lobbed the bottle at Atticus, whose reactions were slow after his head injury. As he was drunk, Bob aimed badly, so the bottle caught Atticus in the stomach, just below the sling, causing him to fall backwards, crying out in pain.

"Why are you doing this?" Atticus asked, struggling to get to his feet.

Bob didn't reply; he ran at Atticus, punching him hard in the face, knocking him back to the ground. Jem screamed at him, but a glancing blow to the side of the head silenced the boy, who passed out. Scout lowered her now unconscious brother to the ground, her whole body shaking in fear.

By now, Bob was on top of Atticus, punching him again and again in the face. Atticus kicked out helplessly, but to no avail; he felt his lip split, his nose break and his face bruise as Bob hit out at him.

Dolphus Raymond, along with another man Scout didn't recognise, pulled Bob, screaming like a lunatic, off of Atticus, but not before Bob pulled a small knife out of his pocket and stabbed Atticus in the abdomen.

"Atticus!" Scout screamed, rushing to her father, who was semi conscious, his black eyes so swollen he could barely keep them open, blood seeping from a deep wound just below the sling across his chest.

She could see Heck Tate arrive and arrest Bob from the corner of her eye, but Scout truthfully didn't care; all she did was pull her jacket off and press it to the stab wound on his abdomen, tears seeping down her face.

"I'll be alright Scout..." Atticus slurred, but his eyes glazed over and he gave in to the darkness clouding his vision, letting himself escape the pain as he slipped into unconsciousness...


End file.
